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I'm on a bit of a roll with the Mustangs at the moment. Now that I've got a bit of a grip on airbrushing technique and the use of Alclad, the options seem almost limitless (and that's just in the 8th AF which is my interest). But there are a couple of iconic P-51s that I've always wanted to do, including at least one of the aircraft in those classic photos of the 'Bottisham Four' taken on 26 July 1944. Here's 361FG CO Lt Col Christian's 'Lou IV' captured on film that day:
And here's my rendition of it. It's the lovely little Airfix 1/72 kit, basically out of the box but with fin fillet removed, wing panels puttied, canopy rails added, elevator mass balances scribed, and a rear view mirror scrounged:
Decals are Eaglecals, which worked beautifully. The main code letters were a bit too tall so I cropped them a touch to get the fit just right.
Underwing tanks are from the kit, but I moved the filler cap on one of them and added the flange that runs round the middle of both. I also added the plumbing for good measure.
Paint is Alclad Polished Aluminium for the natural metal, and plain Aluminium for the lacquered areas. This was protected by a coat of Alclad gloss clear, brushed on - it worked a treat. The greens went on next and are both Tamiya: the dark areas are Olive Drab (brush painted and inspired by our very own Tony O'T's impressive results), and the lighter bits are RAF Dark Green (a mix of brush on the fuselage and airbrush on the wings). There's been a lot of discussion over the colours which I took into account before making my decisions. The invasion stripes were airbrushed for the wings and brushed on the fuselage. And the yellow is Xtracrylix. Final varnish is my preferred mix of Humbrol enamel Satin and Matt.
To get a hopefully accurate reproduction of the underneath I used period photos of Christian's aircraft:
...and of 'Tika IV' also from the 361st FG. Both appear not to have invasion stripes on the radiator door:
The cockpit is stock Airfix, so the seat, instrument panel and gunsight are not correct for a D-5 model. But I'm not fussed about that: the aim of this build was to get a decent replica of that classic paint job, and I don't think it's too far off. Here she is with my fairly recently built P-51B, which used the KP wing and the Hasegawa fuselage:
Hope you like it!
Justin

Hi folks,
Seems my models are like London buses: you get nothing for ages and then two come along at once. Whilst finishing off my Seafire I was also bringing this to a conclusion. I've always liked the yellow & black checkerboard markings of the 353rd Fighter Group, and have long wanted a Mustang in those markings. But in1/72 scale, decals for Slybird P-51s are very hard to find, particularly with the excellent Barracudacals set now discontinued (or so it seems). Still, I found the website of Draw Decals who provide a set for a warbird two-seater which is painted to resemble The little Witch, which was flown by Lt Don Schoen in early 1945.
The kit is the 1/72 Airfix, which is an easy build. I filled in the wing panel lines, modified the fin fillet to the earlier Swayback style, and added cockpit rails. Otherwise it's pretty much out of the box. Paint is Alclad Polished Aluminium for the natural metal areas, and plain Aluminium for the wings. Tamiya olive drab on the nose and black on the rudder. Here are some piccies:
Ths spinner is Xtracrylics RAF Trainer Yellow, lightened a touch to match the decals as best as possible, with Tamiya black rings. A bit fiddly but it came out OK. I kept weathering to a minimum: a thin pin-wash, a couple of streaks here and there - nothing major.
I was originally thinking of displaying the model wheels-up, with radiator door slightly open and flaps partially deployed. Then I changed my mind, but by then the flaps were stuck on. This presented a dilemma: as Mustangs were parked with flaps either up or fully down, how to display an accurate-ish model with flaps only partially lowered whilst on the ground? So I decided to add the pilot, and display the aircraft as though he's got flaps for take-off, with clamshell doors closed. Pity the propeller isn't spinning...
Don't read the data panel: there are some inconsistencies... I also realise that I should have blanked off the flare tube for this particular aircraft. Doh!
The nose decals behaved very well with a bit of help from the Microscale solutions, though I did have to cut them a couple of squares-worth to make them conform better. The fuselage codes are slightly incorrect in terms of style for the original Little Witch, as they are spot on for the modern recreation. I chose to chop them up and reassemble the pieces make them look slightly closer to the originals, i.e. a narrower font. Doesn't look too bad. The serials are a mixture of Draw Decal and Kits World. Other stencils are from the kit.
Here's the slighly reshaped fin fillet, which was a relativley straightforward job. I also scribed the horn balances on the elevators.
Photos of the modern Little Witch can be found at the Website below.
https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?90644-Lt-Don-Schoen-(353rd-FG)-to-be-re-united-with-quot-The-Little-Witch-quot
Which is where I also found the pictures of the original aircraft:
Number four for the year! Hope you like it.
Justin

Hi folk'sgot an early finish so thought I'd get an hour start while the house was quiet! So poured a Malbec and waited till ten.
Interior green where applicable.
Interior air scoop facings painted black and fitted.
Interior paited,dry brushed and detailed,IP decal on and air bottles painted.
Wing's assembled after dry brushing details.
And first hour gone with seat and wheels now with first coat of paint on,so not a bad start thanks for looking see you around seven AM.

Good afternoon, morning, evening wherever you are in the world! Allow me to present my take on XS927 an English Electric Lightning F.6:
This is the now discontinued 1/72 kit from Airfix, built out of the box with the only customisation being some improvements to the cockpit, ejection seat and a stretched sprue pitot. Painted using AK Interactive Xtreme Metal Enamels, primarily polished aluminium. I learnt quite a bit on this one regarding NMF's and using metal repair tape for some even more shiny bits Sealed using AK Interactive Intermediate Gauzy which is a satin/specular varnish designed to go over NMF and then treated to usual oil paint weathering.
The kit was quite challenging in places, needed a bit more patience than I anticipated and I think Airfix could have made some better design decisions, particularly when it came to the undercarriage, nose joins and belly seams which took an age to get right and even then, mine are not perfect by any shot.
A mostly up to date WIP can be found here:
Hope you enjoy, as ever comments, questions always welcome
JB

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0YTyzb37wqFUVpONFVHM29BNGhQdy1yYmFjNFJYTHV1UGs4
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B0YTyzb37wqFZ2lOT1EtR1NVeVhNNmZBbjFFMFA5SEs0RjVr
Here is my next build, the Airfix 1/72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk1 with Kora Decals applied.
Click on the links to view my model.
When using these decals make sure you brush/spray over a coat of Microscale liquid decal film because the decals images are fragile.
I have had problems applying the tail decals and can't get them to bed down properly, have tried various things any help appreciated please.
Hope you like it,
Colin.

Remembrance Sunday. A perfect day to finish this tribute build.
When 24-year-old Flt Sgt Dennis Copping was forced to crash-land here in June 1942 he probably realised he stood no chance of survival. On June 28, 1942, Flt Sgt Dennis Copping of the RAF was flying a damaged P-40 Kittyhawk between two British airfields in Egypt for repairs and maintenance. But the aircraft never arrived at its destination, and for 70 years the Kittyhawk’s fate, and that of its 24-year-old pilot, remained a mystery. The Kittyhawk bearing the 260 Squadron “HS” squadron code and the aircraft letter “B” settled down over a wide and remote expanse of North African sand desert called Al Wadi al Jadid. Perhaps low on fuel, perhaps lost, or with mechanical problems, the RAF pilot chose to land in the vast North African Sahara. With his landing gear locked down, he flared low over the sand and settled onto it. The gear snapped off, the desert camouflaged P-40 collapsed onto its belly and slid for a hundred meters or more shedding its radiators and propeller hub.
After coming to a stop, the pilot exited the aircraft, closed the canopy and disappeared into the sands of history. The aircraft itself would remain undiscovered for seven decades, perhaps for much of it covered by the sands of time.
Build link Airfix 1/72 P40.
Paints & Extras
Tamiya Spray Aluminium
Humbrol Aluminium
Bare Metal Foil Dark Aluminium
AK Dark Aluminium Metal Paste
Flory sand wash.
Link to WIP
Here is the inspiration for the build
And here is what I made

Good evening All
My next build for this Gb will be the Airfix Blenheim Mk IV
http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234977223-bristol-blenheim-mkivf-172-airfix/
used by GRB 1 Lorraine of the Free French Air Forces in 1941
I will use the Xtradecal decls sheet
References
I will use the Yahumodels Instrument panel and Quickboost trop air Intake
I will start this week end
Patrice

Another of those, I was not going to build just yet, but I happened to find some old Mike Grant decals that had the yellowjacks markings on it about the same time as I found the Gnat in the stash. Well putting the two together and one quick build later and I had another Gnat for the family photo (is there a collective noun for gnats?).
The serial numbers look black in the photos, but they are dark blue.
Tim

Good evening
I would like to present you my last completed model
The Airfix Mustang in the markings of Capt John Voll an ace with 21 kills http://acepilots.com/usaaf_mto_aces.html#Voll
I replaced the seat by a Quickboost one and Lifelike decals
Patrice

Hello all! I have just finished this Airfix Shorts Tucano T1 as a 207 Sqn aircraft. The kit was the Airfix one, and was a pressie from my good lady wife. I decided to build it OOB. I remember building one years ago, and found I could not get it to sit on its tricycle undercarriage back then. Since then, I have heard (on BM) about a magic product used for weighting down plants in aquaria, so I went off to find some. Being a bloke, I did not ask for help, I just looked around getting increasingly annoyed at not finding what I was looking for. Said wifey went up to the counter, asked, and the assistant went to where I first looked and took a pack off the shelf! This is lead-like strip, it was rolled up into a Swiss Roll type shape (very thin mind), and surprisingly heavy. It also worked well in the Tucano, as I was able to cut small bits, roll it up and stuff it into the small space in the nose. I fixed it in place with Perfect Plastic Putty, as I did not know if it would react with CA or PVA like fishing weight can do sometimes.
The kit itself went together reasonably well, I needed some PPP along the wing roots, but the major issue I had was that the moulds did not seem to be aligned correctly. There was quite a seam around most parts, far more than normal, and the halves seemed slightly offset. The upper wing trailing edges were irregular too. I have to admit I did not worry about correcting some of these issues, I just built this for fun, and to see just how colourful a black aircraft can be. I ended up spending 4 evenings on just the transfers alone, each evening I listed to both sides of a C-90 cassette (ask your father!), so that shows how long they took. Ah, I remember the days when you got about 10 transfers and that was it! I did get one of the yellow wing flashes in the wrong position - it does not quite reach the trailing edge. The prop seems odd too, it looks like it is warped outwards slightly, but that may just be me!
Enough waffle, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Thanks for looking,
All the best,
Ray

Good afternoon
Last week end I started building the very nice Airfix Mustang I will represent the aircraft flown by John Voll an ace who scored 21 kills in the MTO with the 31 Fighter Group http://acepilots.com/usaaf_mto_aces.html#Voll I replaced the seat by a Quickboost one and the control surfaces by ResIm parts and for the decals I will use Lifelike decals http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Rev4/3301-3400/rev3303-Lifelike72017/00.shtm I started by the seat And the cockpit I prefered to use the decals for the instrument panel . Patrice

Hey guys.
Being a sucker for punishment I have decided to jump straight into another work in progress build. Watching quite a few of you building at 1/72 scale got me itching to have a go and see what all the fuss was about. Luckily for me a friend at work bought me this for my birthday.
He is constantly ribbing me about my "Airfix" ( I tend to build Tamiya ) kits and I think he bought it as a bit of a joke. I promptly opened the glossy box with free paint and brush and was taken aback by the quality of this little beauty. Needless to say I had to scratch my 1/72 itch and prove to my doubting work colleague that this will get built and not left on the shelf. A Birthday challenge if you will.
So moving swiftly on here are the sprews layed out in all their glory.
The paint guide is a little lacklustre as it expects you to use the four(count em) paints provided so I might go for a different scheme. Maybe this..
Or this?
Not sure yet but it's going to be a whole heap of fun finding out where this one goes. Hope you enjoy the build as much as I will.
Until next time.
John.

Hello everyone.
Doing a bit of spring cleaning at the moment, unearthing old models from the loft and photos on the PC. I built this out of the box when it came out in 2012 for Spencer Pollard's Cold War Modeller, but I don't think I showed it here. Not usually my type of subject but really enjoyed building my first Spitfire in over forty years!
Haris

Britannia Royal Naval College Air Experience Flight - 1957 This one has been a lot more difficult than I expected or its size suggests, but it is finished at last and photographed on this bright and sunny Spring/Easter morning! It's the recent 1/72 Airfix kit, with a set of home compiled decals for one of the four ex-RAF-ex-Civil aircraft that the RN bought in 1956 for use as flying acquaint aircraft. This one lived at Dartmouth until it was written off on 16/8/1962 after a crash on take off from Anges in the Pays de la Loire (sounds like a nice flying jolly to France was being had by someone at the time - fortunately no casualties!) This is a very impressive little kit with some superb fine detail. Mine was the civil version, with bright red and silver scheme out the box; another issue has WW2 camouflage and yet another starter kit has bright yellow trainer colours. However, despite its generally excellent fit and well thought out layout, it is not the easiest of builds, mainly due to the fragility of some parts, especially the wing struts. The main issue is the extra supporting structure that keeps the interplane struts at the right angle as you assemble the kit. These are an excellent idea and Airfix intend that you cut them off after assembly. making them suitably thin to help you with this. However the struts themselves are also very thin and I know I am not the only one who has has issues removing the unwanted parts afterward. I broke three of the struts trying to shave the helping parts off before giving up. Nice idea Airfix, but one that may cause more heartache than help for many modellers. The other surprising issue is that Airfix have provided the anti-spin strakes as separate parts, requiring you to cut out the upper fuselage and insert the new ones. This is really quite a fiddly task and difficult to tidy up afterward. A much better idea would have been to provide both versions as inserts; the excellent level of fit of the rest of the kit suggests that this would have been entirely feasible and certainly a lot easier for the builder than cut and shut.
Rigging is lycra thread and just about drove me nuts. I normally enjoy threading biplanes and this is a fairly simple one, but on this occasion it seems my superglue has passed its sell by date and wouldn't stick to anything except my fingers. Much cursing and chuntering later it was finished, but not as neatly as I had hoped. Recommended for those with patience and a light touch!! FredT

Folks,
My indecision as to what to make in this group build stems from my need to finish a number of projects. So with Mods' permission, I'd like to complete my Airfix XIV conversion (XIX +IX) which so far looks like this:
I'd also like to finish this stalled Airfix Mk Ia project as a IIa:
What do we think?
Justin

Hello all,
I am seeking advice on how to construct an F-86F Sabre that is in-flight but has jettisoned its drop tanks (e.g. when the Sabres were about to engage Migs): Should I attach the drop tank rack/connector(?) to the wing undersides, or omit all such parts and just fill the holes on the wing underside?
(I am using the Airfix 1/72 kit for the F86-F/E; # A03082A)
I've searched many images on the web and modelling forums, but haven't found anything useful, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.
By the way, I have only just started making models in the last couple of months with my first-born. Otherwise, it has been more than 35 years since I put together a Matchbox kit. I am amazed at how the hobby has progressed and what products and after-market upgrades are available for the base kits. Good times ahead.
Many thanks in advance,
Dazey

Hello, I would like to post a picture of my latest finished model, an Airfix Mustang IVa with Freightdog slatted oil cooler.
The picture is not the best but it is the best for the moment.
From the few pictures I saw the plane look quite dirty on the lower surface so I tried to replicate it.
There is a wonderful website about the 3rd sqn RAAF with pictures of "Anita"
http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/Mustangs/3%20Sqn%20P-51K%20P4.htm
Cheers
Paolo

Morning all,
I returned to the hobby in early 2013, after about 15 years away. The inspiration was Airfix's new-ish (at the time) 1/72 Spitfire XIX. For me the XIX is perhaps the most beautiful of the Spitfire line, and the original all-over PRU Blue colour scheme sets it off nicely. And I'd never built one before, so thought I'd give it a go. Here's the result:
I did a bit of work on the kit to add a few details and used some bits from the Fujimi XIV e.g. undercarriage and propeller blades (also shaped a bit). This was my first airbrushed model, so an all-over colour-scheme was helpful for a beginner. I subsequently learned that the Airfix fuselage is a little short, but that was after the event. Decals are from Xtradecal, with stencils etc from Fujimi. I wanted a model of the ultimate WWII PR Spitfire, so I did PS887 as it would have appeared on arrival at Benson in April 1945, and before the application of 541 Squadron's post-war squadron codes and the silver spinner. Image of the real aircraft here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8033938294
I've made a few more Spitifres since, but given this was the first in my 'modern period' of modelling, there's something special about this one. Hope you like it!
Justin

Catching up with some builds from earlier in the year. This was the Airfix Swift as it came in the box except the pitot tube being replace by Albion Alloys tubing. I had intended the flaps being down, but managed to loose one (still no idea how). Luckily they are an easy shape to recreate (used the one I had as a template).
Lighting was not great for the photography but as good as I'll get at this time of the year.
Tim

Good evening
Between 2 working session on the A37 yesterday I started the Airfix A4 Skyhawk http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234926514-douglas-a-4ba-4p-skyhawk-airfix-172/
I will represent the aircraft of VA 95 Green Lizzard aboard USS Intrepid in 1965 I will replace the seat by a Quickboost one http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234962188-a-4-skyhawk-ejection-seat-with-safety-belts-172-quickboost/.. I started by this seat I also worked on the cockpit , Airfix provides the instruments in decals I think it will be enough Patrice